BROCKPORT, NY - The Utica University men's track and field team has completed day one of the 2025 Empire 8 Outdoor Track and Field Championship, at host site SUNY Brockport, on Friday evening. The Pioneers currency sit in fourth place with 47.5 points.
In the 100m, Chris Ganley (Pine Bush, NY/Pine Bush) was the top finisher for the Pioneers, falling just outside of the qualifying mark to move onto tomorrow's final with a time of 11.03.
In the 3000m steeplechase, Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda Fultonville) took home third place with a time of 9:19.34. Tobias Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham Central) and Anthony Leotta (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollows Hills West) rounded out the top Pioneers in the event with times of 9:51.01 and 10:23.66 respectively.
Cade Tavares (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) has qualified for tomorrow's final in the 110mh after clocking in at sixth place with a time of 15.81.
In the 400m, Tristan Vargo (East Aurora, NY/Orchard Park) was the top Pioneer finisher with a time of 50.46.
In the 4x800m, the team of Forest Martin (Poland, NY/Poland Central), Jeralds, Ben Lohmann, and Eddy Corporan (Poughkeepsie, NY/Roy C Ketcham) took home sixth place with a time of 8:18.77.
In the 10,000m, Zachary Brown (Milford, NY/Milford Central) was the top Pioneer finisher with a time of 34:38.81 to take home 10th place.
Jack Rathburn (Clarendon Hills, IL/Westmont) finished in fifth place in the pole vault after clearing 4.25m.
Brady Szekeres (Accord, NY/Rondout Valley) was the top Pioneer finish in the javelin with a 43.25m throw.
In the long jump, Ellis Urgent (Cornwall, NY/Cornwall Central) took home the gold in the event, as well as set a new school record in the event after a monster 7.24m leap.
Three Pioneers found themselves inside the top five in the hammer throw in Spencer Borghardt (Melville, NY/St.Anthony's), Joshua Talbot (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), and Blake Gannon (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen). Borghardt took home second place with a 56.71m throw, Talbot took third with a 55.74m throw, and Gannon took home fifth place with a 54.17m throw.
Utica will complete the meet tomorrow, Saturday, May 3 beginning at 10am in Brockport, NY.
